NH Earned Income Tax Credit

First Year Campaign (2002-2003)
-Increase awareness about the EITC for residents of Franklin and Hill (approximately $200,000 went unclaimed)
-Provide free tax preparation and e-file
-Survey clients regarding their interest in financial literacy education

Second Year Campaign (2003-2004)
-Increase number of returns prepared
-Increased site availability (open more Saturdays and evenings)
-Provide more focused training for volunteer tax preparers – especially around self employment issues
-Develop a logo and marketing tools
-Debut financial literacy education/classes
-Participate in the data collection through NTAWFC and AECF

Third Year Campaign (2004-2005)
-Increase number of returns prepared (our goal was to increase by 50%) – specifically hoped to target those clients who received a RAL last year
-Increase community awareness of our effort
-Launch an asset building component

Fourth Year Campaign (2005-2006)

-Increase to 70 the number of EITC-eligible returns completed by completing a total of 100 returns

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3. Budget
(what is your budget for your site and source of dollars)

$16,850 funded by Casey Family Services

4. 2006 VITA Results

Total # transmitted returns: 125

Total # accepted returns: 125 (some required resubmitting, but all were accepted)

Total # EITC returns: 57

5. Hours of Operation

Saturdays: 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18 (open from 9-4)

Mondays: 2/6, 2/13, Jennie Blake School, Hill (open from 3-6p.m.)

Wednesdays: 2/1, 2/7 (open from 4-7p.m.)
Special Services: Electronic Filing, Childcare
By Appointment Only - Contact Number: 603-934-3315

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6. # Volunteers

25

7. # Volunteer Hours

160-175 (rough estimate) – hours of site coordinator are not included in this figure since she is paid. Need to think of a better way to track this next year.

8. Source of Volunteers

Casey Family Services, Franklin Savings Bank, UNH Cooperative Extension, CCNTR, TRIP Center, IRS, Rotary Club of Franklin, Business and Professional Women, and local community

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9. # Clients Served

127

10. $ Value of refunds

Total refund amount: $222,782
Total EITC refund amount: $97,541

11. Additional $’s saved clients in tax return refund preparation
(if you collected this information)

$16,510-33,020 based on anecdotal reporting of fees paid by those who saw commercial preparers the year before ($130-260) multiplied by the total number of returns prepared if everyone paid a similar amount.

Best Practices (this section looks at what worked best for your site)

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12. Site Coordination
(what made your site run smoothly and efficiently? how were you successful in reaching targeted clientele?)

-Paid consultant served as a resource for new site coordinator
-Addition of new volunteers, particularly from the local community

-Site location–accessible for majority of clients, ample parking

-Availability-Additional weeknight hours were added (in coordination with AARP-TaxAide), Casey Family Services staff certified as volunteers were able to prepare returns at Family Resource Center, and a new site was added in Hill

-Coalition meetings–monthly, consistent participation, team approach
-Awareness–clients are more aware and trusting of our services now that we have been in existence for four years

13. Volunteers
(how did you recruit volunteers? what did you do to keep them working at your site?)

In the words of one volunteer, "You asked." Outreach began shortly after last year's campaign ended by reporting results to such community groups as Choose Franklin and the local Rotary Club, and issuing the "call to action" that our success is limited only by the number of volunteers we have. This led to a repeat invitation to the Rotary Club in the Fall, leading to four new volunteers and an introduction to the Business and Professional Women, which led to three additional new volunteers.

Regular email communications to all volunteers leading up to the start of the season kept folks informed and encouraged to complete the Link & Learn certification. Training for new tax prep. volunteers were offered their choice of full day sessions, either on a weekday or a Saturday. In addition, an orientation for greeters was conducted on an evening, and food was provided at all sessions.

Volunteers clearly stated that providing food during tax prep. sessions was a key to keeping them working at our site.

Our volunteers are recognized each year at a volunteer appreciation luncheon. This year that luncheon was combined with the Franklin Asset Building Coalition, so there was an opportunity for volunteers to meet the folks who oversee the campaign and see how their efforts fit in with the larger picture.

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14. Media/Marketing

(what did you do in the area of media and marketing that increased awareness about your site, EITC, and asset building?)

News releases and PSA's were sent to the Concord Monitor, Laconia Citizen, WFTN radio, Franklin Phoenix, Winnisquam Echo, and the local Chamber of Commerce for posting on it's Web site and in a community e-newletter.

15. Outreach
(what other types of outreach activities were you involved in to enhance the effectiveness of your site?)

Flyers: sent home through public school system, posted at laundromats, Helath First/TRCC, CAP, West Side Pediatrics, and other local businesses
W-2/paycheck stuffers were given to all employees at: SAU18, City of Franklin, LRG Healthcare, Vitex, Freudenberg, and left at all FSB branches
Pizza boxes: Constantly Pizza, Central St. Pizzeria
FranklinABC banner: posted at intersection of Central and Sanborn Streets
Community presentations: Chamber of Commerce, Head Start, Franklin Business and Women, Choose Franklin, and Children's Care Team
WIC site, which proved to be VERY effective

16. Coalition Building
(if you have a coalition, what made it successful?)

What continues to make our coalition successful is a genuine commitment on the part of its members. This year, that commitment was enhanced by several members and others from the community attending the Rural Family Economic Success (RuFES) Institute prior to beginning the campaign. That institute brought together teams from Vermont and Maine as well as New Hampshire, and included people from all three states involve in EITC campaigns and related activities.

Members of our Coalition participated as greeters, and helped identify additional resources from among people they knew, such as a banker who introduced us to the HR director of a local industrial employer, who distributed paycheck stuffers to their employees.

17. Future
(what are your plans for the future [site expansion, asset building, etc.]? what will you do differently in the future?)

-Continued involvement with the EITC Statewide Alliance
-Strengthening partnership with AARP Tax Aide
-Increase in Hill hours, possibly in Franklin as well (adding one more Saturday)

-More returns prepared at Family Resource Center

-Increase the number of businesses doing W-2 stuffers, and starting that process earlier (such as October)

-Splitting off greeters with "wealth coaches" who will focus in more detail on the asset building conversation

-Combining asset building, greeting, and a portion of the tax preparer training for consistency of message and greater understanding of what everyone needs

-Involve Coalition members in outreach, such as WIC

-Community presentations aimed at greater awareness of effort

-Expanding asset building components, both in the community and the schools

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